Pivotal turning means for automobiles.



E. E. MGEEEUEEEIN, PIVTAL TURNING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, lQllSuf"4 -sEEET 1.

V gy mi@ MF SHEETS /gz- Q E LTL h/., ,@Hww m. n!

A, L MGGLOUGHLIN. PIVOTAL TURNING MEANS PoR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1013.

Patented @11.26, MM5

4 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

Y ,f Al ATTORNEYS Alfred A. I. MGGLOUGHLIN. PIVOTALTUENING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1013.

" 1,126,052. Pamenizedl Jan. 26, 1915.

p 4 SHBETS-SHEET 3.

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` A. I. MGGLOUGHLIN. PIVOTAL TURNING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.K25,1913.

- Patented J an. 26, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

LIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and aresident of the city of New York,

"rnn. srnrns Macnee.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it knownl that' I, ALFRED I. MoGrLoUGir-- borough of'Manhattam in the county ,and State' of New York,.havev invented a new and Improved Pivotal Turning Means `fon Automobiles, of which the following is a full, `clear, and exact description.- A

4This invention relates generally to a pivotal turning means for-automobiles and" tlie'like, characterized vby Aa structure permitting .the vehicle to turn about a point whichv is substantially at thel vmiddle point of the rear axle.. y

- vThe principal/obj ect of the invention is to 'provide ,a pivotal turning meansfor autoi "the length of the veliicle mobiles in the nature of a fifth wheel,l adapted to 'be brought vinto engagement with the ground, whereby the vehiclemay be tu'rnediin. a space substantially as wide as A f further objecto'f the invention is to l provide a pivotal turning means for .auto

wheel into engagement with the ground be-' tween the front wheels, the said means car-4,

mobiles and the like, which may berterme'da; iftl'ifwheel, with ymeans 'for Abringing` the rying the front'wheelsof the vehicle'away from the ground.

,A further object of lthe invention is the lprovisionA of a pivotal :turning means' for automobiles and the like, inthe nature of av fifth wheel, adapted to support'the forward. end of the vehicle,I suitable means being provided `for the application of power from the vehicle motorto the said wheel, other means being provided for preventing movement vof the speed change levers from a neutralpositio`n.wlien the said wheelv is 'in engagement. with the ground.

` Other objects and advantages vfollowing the use of the invention herein disclosed will V appear as the-description of the structure and manner of operation proceeds.

Reference is to be hadA to the accompany ing drawings forming apart of this speciifl -cation,1nhwhich like characters oi'' reference vindicate corresponding parts in [all the views, 'andin which-l i Figui-'e 1- -is a? partial plan viewA of' the chassisnfan automobile equipped with the` preferred' form. of myinvention; Figi 2 is a.

sectional view on thelineQ-Q o f-Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is va partial and enlarged plan view ALFRED i. MeeLoUGHLIm-or NEW "rozen, i\T.- Y.

Pivomi. TURNING MEANS Fon AUTOMOBILES.

l Specification of Letters Patent. I Ptemtd Jam, 26s 1915i Application led January 25, Serial No. 744,147. i

Agraminatic views, showing the manner of turning a vehicle equipped with the invention herein described andl claimed.

i -The vehicle whichl is illustrated is merely typical of the class of such structures to .which the ,invention maybe applied, and yserves to show one-.adaptation of the prefer-red form ofjtliejinvention, itbeing clear 1 that `various changes in the size, shape and relation oi the parts constituting the embodiment of' the' inventive -idea `may be availed of in ordei `to adapt such idea to' different vehicles.

-Referring to Fig. l,`the chassis of the vehicle may be'designated 1, the forward axle 2, the front wheels 3, the engine il, the clutch 5, the Afoot pedal operating the clutch 6, the drive shaftk 7,'the transmission with its gearing 8, and` the brake and speed change levers as 9 and 10, respectively.

Fixed to the front aXle `2,-and at a s ub. stantially central point, is a-bearing 11 supporting a shaft 12, at the orwardend of which is an arm 13 carrying the fifth wheel 15 at its lower end, the said wheel being mounted on a shaft .16; itis, of course, clearl that one wheel 15, or a plurality of them (as shown in Fig. G) may be availedof, if so desired. Also secured'to'tlie said front axle, and to one side thereof, is a bearing 17 sup porting a shaft 18 having an arm 19 secured .thereto at its oiward end; extending be- 4`tween the arms v13 and 19, and'in pivotal relation with each, isa linkQO. The structiire as described comprises whatv may be termed acradle for carrying the ftli wheel 15, with means for swinging it from the position shown'in Fig. 7, or vice Versa. It .gis-clear that the form of thiscradle may be varied, inasmuch asa plurality of arms 13 and a plurality ofy links 20as well as a plurality of other arms 19 may be .employed ifv-so desired, such changes being merely those l it.

necessary to linsure good ,construction vand not involving a departure from the idea embodied.

The drawings set forth -means ,for bringing-the fifth wheel from the position shown in- Fig. 7 to thatfshown in Fig. 5, and vice versa, and also setI .forth means whereby 15, ported in a bearing 2l. Fixed on the s-aid Apower may-be applied directly to thesaid wheel 15, such structures beingnow set forth.

The before-mentioned shaftv 18' ext-ends rearwardly of the chassis to a point conven iently reached by the chauffeur, said shaft' comprising preferably a flexible joint 12a (Fi g. 1)., .the rear end of the shaft being sup- -shaftisa pinion 22, and meshing therewith i' .is a'worm23'at the lower end of an up,A wardlyextending shaft Q4', having a hand- ,.wheel- Q at its upper end, the said shaft 9A being 'locatedl adjacent the drivers Seat and i being shown 'as supported in a bearing 26 carried bythe dash. As the wheel 25, isv

turned poweris transmitted through the worm23 andipinion 22 to the shaftv 18, and

, the ,arm 19 at the -forward end thereof is raised or lowered, as the case may be, with the consequent movement vof the arm 13 carrying the wheel-15 through. the medium `of the. link 20; in orderto assist the said arm 13 in being rigidly maintained in theposition show-n in-F ig. 5, a shoulder 27 may a be avai-led of, which is preferably placed on the said bearing l1 mounted on the front axle. Referring particularly to Fig. I3 it is l to'be noted that the length of the arm 13,

together with the diameter of the fthwheel 15, is4 such .that when the said wheel. is in lowermost position, resting on the ground, the front wheels 3 of the vehicle are raised fromthe ground, so that when power is applied to this fifth wheel 15 the vehicle may beturned aboutA a vertical axis substantially.`

at the centerof the rear axle.

vReferring particularlyto Fig. 2, it will be noted that the main drive shaft. 7 is provided .s with a pinion 9.8 fixed thereto; movably mounted on a pin 529 carried by the supporting structure 30, and extending between the opposite sides of the chassis l, is a frame which is substantially T-shaped, and which comprises the ends 3'1.--31b and the central upwardly extending portion 31C; revolubly mounted adjacent the end 314 of this frame is a gear 32, and revolubly mounted adjacent atacante gear 3fm suchl engagement. Extending upwardly from this frame through the floor of y theveh'icleand.adjacent the dash' is a lever. 36, the lower end of whichv is secured tothe said frame, whereby movement of the'lever will move lthe frame, bringing about the engagement of the gears, as described, the normal position of the lever beinga't a central end kofthe ,strap-.37 will bringleither gear-32 or`34 into engagement with the pinion 28, as described,` the .tension of the spring (as shown in Fig. 2 the spring 39) returning the lever to such middle position .when force is removedl therefrom. Thus power may be supplied to the 'gears from the-maindriVevv shaft, this power being brought tothefifth wheel 15 through themediumofa exible shaft Ll0 (Fig. 6) which embodies a coupling Ll1 connected to the said shaft 16 on whichI the said wheel or wheels 15 arecarried. This flexible shaft 4:0 (Fig. extends rearwardly`- I of the chassis, and is` prefer-ably provided with'a second'couplingllQ and engages a` l shaft-43 ladapted to be driven by the beforementioned gear wheel 33 whichi's carried in the T-shaped frame shown particularly in Fig. 2'; as set forth vparticularly inv Fig. 3

this gear wheel 33 is mounted directlyon Athe shaftl 43, although itis clear that' other structures may-be availed of if so desired.. It is f`1p'parent, therefore, that this system-of gearing may be set into operation to rotate the fifth wheel mechanism in reither direction without rst stopping the motor. i In other words, when the machine is in motion, it

may be stopped in the usual manner by shifting the main clutch, and then while the motor continues in motion, the lever 36 may be forced in either direction against the ten sion of the 'spring 3S or `39 so as to bring one or the other of the gears 32 and 34C into mesh with vthe pinion 28. The front end `of the automobile, therefore, may be'swung around asabove set forth, and subsequently the lever 36 will be brought to normal position and the main driving mechanism may be reclutched forthe propulsion of the vehicle in or from its new position, the motor continuing in operation all-the time. g

lFrom the description set forth it will be apparent that manipulation of the hand wheel. Q5 (Fig. 2) will actuate the shaft .18, j whereby the fifth wheel 15 is broughtfrom -the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shownin Fig. 5 into engagement with'the ground, the wheels' 3 leaving the ground; the application of power then to the flexible shaft 410 through manipulation of4 the lever 36 (F ig. 2) will serve to turn the vehicle,

vlie f the power being applied to the fth wheel l5. y The before-mentioned gear QSwhich y'is carried by the power shaft `7 (Fig. 2) is 5 `placed between the engine #t and the transmission 8, and it is designed to bring about the results set forth when the transmission K4is inoperative; that is, when the speed change lever is in a neutral position.` In

l order to 'bring about such position of ythe speedchange lever the structureshown pai"- ticularly in Figs. 3 and e may be availed of.

Fixed to the forwardly extending shaft` 18, which serves to lower the wheel 15, is an 15.` arm 48; extending longitudinally of the machine is a shaft 49, the rearend of which isprovided vwith a yoke 50, the'yoke being insuch position that it is adapted to eni.

brace the brake and speed change levers 2U 9-10 when they are in neutral position; the

forward end of this shaft is'provided with an arm 5l, there being a link 52 extending between the said arm 5l and the first nientioned arm 48. Then thehandwheel 25 is turned in order to brinlgthe fifthwheel 15 into engagement .with the ground,- .turning of the shaft 18 will turn the shaft t9-because l ofthe link connection 52, the yoke 5,0"moving downwardly, and if the said Alleve'rs which 'contgol 'the brake and the tra'iisi'nisa sion are in neutral. position this' yoke will embracethem, @s shown particularly lin Fig. 3, thereby preventing movement of the .levers from such position. The-*yoke is so designed that if these said levers are not in case there are a pliiality of forward wheels ll5 located on eachside of the center of'the forward axle S3, there being a plurality ofbearings 11, arms 19' and links 20. vThe axles or shafts 1S which carry the said arms 19 which bring about movement of the arms 13 are provided-with beveled gears which v-mesh with the beveled Lgears 10Q positioned. adjacent opposite ends of the transversely o extendingrshaftr101,so that-when poweris applied to lower the wheels 15 both wheels shownwill be vlowered simultaneously. The use of such a structuredoes not involve 'a ydep'arture from the invention, as the manner of bringingabouttheresult'desired is the' f same in this'case asipreviously set forth.

ln Figs, 10 and'llvalre diagrams setting" forth the'severalinstances wherein theftli wheel 'isof ad Yant ge in every day use. ln Fig'. 9 tlie'point representativeof the ters Patent is middle pointof the rear axle, and vthe broken' line indicates the path., which the forward end of the-vehicle takesin turning fromithe full line t'o the broken line position;- in thisv j case the vehicle turns about vthis point A as a center, and the width of the space in which the vehicle `may tuin is'V substantially equal to .the length Aof the machine. In Fig.- 10a number of vehicles B are illustrated, one

after the other and vclose` together,* the broken lines indicating how the/end vehicle may be conveniently brought out of the line without ,having those to eitherv side of it moved, since the .f'ehicle swingsabout the"` point A as a center. ln Figlll a numberof vehicles are indicated, arranged closely together and side byside, the broken .line

position indicatingv the manner of turning moving those at` either side.

the middle vehicle without the necessity vof l.'

I The construction described is also adaptedv for use in garages and'storehouses-wliere vehicles must be stored close 'together in oider to save room,v theuse ofthe invention doingl away with "the-necessity of aturntable.

, It will, of course,y be understood thatthe terms `used iiifdelining the different parts of the structure are merely for the purpose'of niakingsuch a structure clear, and may beequallyy appliedto any equivalent structure v perforniingthe same function.

. Having; thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desireto'secure by Letl. ln combination with the motor Iof an automobile, a T-sliiihcd frame, a vplurality of legears mounted onj'said frame and meshine' with one another each to each infixed,

ico

positions. saidv frame being niovably mountk ed in position, a motor gear, aleve con'- nected to the frame, meansactiiie; on the lever to noi'inallynand automatically hold the same and the frame with its gears out of mesh with the motorI gear, the said iframe in one eXtreme `position bringingr one gear into operative relation with the motor gear, the frame in another ,extreme position bringing another gear intoopei'ative relation with ilo the motor gear, and a shaft associated with the said frame, the said shaft being adapted ,to be turned in opposite directions when the said frame occupies oneV of the aforesaid eX;

treme positions.

2. ln Vcombination with the engine of Aan automobile, a T-Shaped frame provided' with a number of gears operatively associated vit-h eachfother, means whereby the frame may be iiioved in order to bring one of the `s aid gears-into operative relation with the engine, shaft associated vwith the gears,`

means for bringingthe gears into operative relation with the engine, andl other means v' for preventing' sucl movement of the gears save whenthe speed change leveris iii neu- -V tral position.

the 'said second shaft depending on' which one of the gears cooperates with the' said power shaft, a fth wheel connected to` said second'shaft, land means to bring the fifth wheel into contact with the vground and comprising a member adapted to embrace the speed change lever when it is in neutral position', whereby the said cooperative relationl 7` of the gears and power shaft is permitted.

.In combination with the engine and running gear of an automobile, an auxiliary wheel mo'vably mounted adjacent one end of the automobile and adapted to be brought into engagement with the ground in order to support that end of the automobile. means for bringing the said wheel into such engagement, means associated with the engine of the automobile for applying power to the said auxiliary wheel, 'means for bringing about cooperative relation between the said means and the engine, and a device actuated by movement ofthe means for lowering the said auxiliary wheel and cooperating with the speed. change lever, whereby movement of the said means is prevented save when f the said lever is in a neutral position.

5. In combination with the running gear of an automobile, an auxiliary wheel adjacent one end of the automobile and adaptmeente ed to be brought into engagement with the Q ground in order to support that end of the automobile, means for bringing about the said engagement of the auxiliary wheel, and other means associated with the said means and speed change lever, whereby movement of the first means is prevented save when the said lever is in a neutral position.

6. In combination with the motor of an automobile, a T-shaped frame, a plurality of gears mounted. on said frame and meshing with one another each to'each in fixed positions, said frame being movably mounted in position, a motor gear, a lever connected to theframe, means acting on the lever to normally and automatically hold the same and the frame with its gears out of mesh with the motor gear, the said frame` in one extreme position, bringing one gear into operative relation with the'motor gear, the

frame in another extreme position bringing another gear into operative relation with the motor gear, and a shaft associated with the said frame, the said shaft being adapted to be turned --in opposite directions when the said frame :occupies the aforesaid extreme positions, whereby the motor may be kept running` and the combination started, stopped, or reversed by the use of the main motenclutch in connection with the gear actuating lever. v

.ln testimony whereof l have signed my two subscribing witnesses.

i `rALFRED I. ltilCGLOUGl-LN.

Witnesses: I A :'-GLiNaoN M. GRUIKSHANK,

Lsunnxon J. GALLAGHER.

name tothisf-specitication in the presence of 

